Annual report
Samaritans Annual report and Accounts 2007
Message from the Chair
by Steve Evans, Chair, Samaritans
In March 2007 Samaritans was awarded a special
award for “Making A Difference” at the annual eWell-Being Awards,
the only national awards that identify and promote the social,
economic and environmental benefits of Information and
Communication Technologies. The award was given for Samaritans’
email service which offers emotional support to people around the
world and in particular the support the charity has given to other
organisations in developing and setting up their own email
services.
Our email service is just one example of the
way in which Samaritans works hard to remain relevant in a changing
world. In this year we also launched a pilot service providing
emotional support by text. Demand for this service has far
outstripped our expectations and feedback suggests that we are
reaching a new audience of young callers. Other initiatives have
targeted schools, stress in the workplace and raising awareness of
the availability of the service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year.
These developments are testament to the hard
work and enthusiasm of our volunteer base and of the staff based at
our Central Office. I would also like to thank our supporters and
donors without whom none of this would have been possible.
Despite progress in new areas of emotional
support, our principal focus remains the telephone support line
which is staffed by just under 17,000 volunteers in 200 branches
across the UK and Republic of Ireland. In 2006 volunteers answered
more than 5 million telephone calls showing the continuing
importance of this service. Of course we still face challenges – in
particular we have seen a gradual decline in the volunteer numbers
over recent years and we must work hard to ensure that this does
not affect the service that we offer to people in distress and
despair. We are addressing this by a more effective use of
volunteers and by devoting resources to volunteer recruitment and
retention.
The organisation has witnessed a great deal of
change over the last 12 months as a new and smaller Board of
Trustees took over the responsibility for directing the charity. A
major priority for the Board during this year has been developing
and refining the vision of the future for Samaritans.
I would like to offer my personal thanks to
David King, who resigned as Chief Executive in January 2007. David
guided the organisation through a particularly difficult period and
leaves the charity more effective and financially stable. I would
also like to welcome Dominic Rudd, who took over the role in March
2007. Dominic joins us from the RSPCA and is well qualified to lead
Samaritans into the next phase of our development.
In closing I must make special mention of
Michael Varah, who joined the Board of Trustees in January 2006 and
who sadly died in April 2007. We will remember him for his
dedication and his enthusiasm and we will miss his sense of humour
and passion for Samaritans.
Steve Evans
Chair, Samaritans
Message from the Chief
Executive